Quranic Sciences and Tradition

Quranic Sciences and Tradition

A Critical Reappraisal of the Position of Fāṭima al-Zahrāʾ in Nuṣayrī Theology

Document Type : Research Paper

Author
Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Philosophy and Theology, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran
10.22059/jqst.2026.411616.670607
Abstract
Drawing on primary sources of the Nuṣayrī sect (the Alawites), published in the Silsilat al-Turāth al-ʿAlawī (The Alawite Heritage Series), this study analyzes and critically examines the position of Fāṭima al-Zahrāʾ in the theological system of this sect. Within this intellectual framework, Fāṭima al-Zahrāʾ is identified by the title Fāṭir, while concepts such as divinity, ḥulūl (indwelling), and tanāsukh (transmigration of souls) are attributed to her. She is also presented as the esoteric dimension (bāṭin) of certain times, places, and acts of worship. Adopting a descriptive-analytical and critical approach, the study first elucidates the Nuṣayrī view of Fāṭima al-Zahrāʾ and then critically evaluates these beliefs on the basis of the Qur'an, authoritative Shiite hadiths, and established theological principles. The findings indicate that the image of Fāṭima al-Zahrāʾ presented in Nuṣayrī sources is confronted with fundamental challenges, including internal inconsistencies, a crisis concerning the criteria of esoteric interpretation (taʾwīl), denial of historicity, exaggeration in the status of religious figures (ghulūw), rejection of the Sharīʿa, and conflict with pure Islamic monotheism (tawḥīd). The study seeks to clarify the boundary between authentic Shiism and ghulāt (extremist or exaggerationist) movements and emphasizes the necessity of recovering the authentic image of Fāṭima al-Zahrāʾ on the basis of authoritative Imami Shiite sources.
Keywords
Subjects

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